[ga] XTNS Launches New Domain Naming System

["Tim Langdell" <langdell@technologist.com>]

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Press Release



XTNS Domain Namespaces Revolutionize Navigation, Brand Identities and
Trademark Control on the Internet

Pasadena-Based Start-Up Unveils a Domain Namespace System Powered by
RealNames Technology To Enable Limitless Creation of New Internet Addresses
that Are Simple, Memorable, and Work in All Languages.



PASADENA, Calif., August 15, 2001 - Today, XTNSSM (Extended Name Services,
Inc., http://www.xtns.net) announced the first availability of its "Extended
NamespacesSM ," a new form of Internet domain names set to revolutionize the
way we navigate the Internet worldwide and leverage commercial brands. XTNS'
s new Domain Namespaces answer at least three major market demands: massive
over-crowding of the ".com" domain and the extreme need for new domains; the
need for a new more simple naming convention to replace existing
hard-to-remember lengthy URLs; and the substantial worldwide demand for
language-specific domain names. Now corporations can own and control entire
XTNS Domain Namespaces such as "anything.brand" and create their own names
in over 150 languages worldwide.


XTNS is working in partnership with RealNames Corporation, whose technology
is already embedded worldwide in the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser.
Being based on UNICODE the RealNames system enables XTNS names to work
automatically and immediately in all languages and character sets. Thus XTNS
Extended Namespaces can now be accessed and queried by 88% or over 360
million of the world's Internet users -- in their own language without any
need to download additional software or enroll with a particular ISP.

"Corporations can now finally gain control of their brand identity on the
Internet," said Tim Langdell, XTNS's CEO. "No longer constrained to market
new products and services to the public in the form of
http://www-dot-something-dot-something, forward-slash some complex series of
letters and numbers, companies can now use our new simpler names in the form
'service.company' or 'product.brand' and do so in virtually any language in
the world. A key thrust will be to enable global corporations to control
their branding around the world enabling Internet navigation in Japanese,
Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, German and over 150 other languages. We
believe this is a watershed event, marking a new era of a vastly simplified
marketing message and intuitive navigation of web content worldwide."

Keith Teare, founder and CEO of RealNames Corp. said of this new partnership
"XTNS is the first to offer this new form of namespace to the world based
upon RealNames Keyword technology, and to understand the limitless potential
and flexibility this technology can bring to Internet users - specifically,
easy to remember and use names that work automatically in any language from
virtually any desktop on the planet. The beauty of Keyword technology is
that it is not constrained by syntax and it allows virtually limitless
combinations in delivering custom namespaces with prefix.something or
something.brand."

Simpler Multilingual Domain Namespaces That Anyone Can Remember.

Because XTNS namespaces rely on the RealNames system which utilizes
UNICODE-based encoding and which sits as a layer on top of the DNS, the
company can create and activate new Domain Namespaces in virtually any
language in the world. XTNS is unique in being able to offer a wide range of
multilingual domain names that are universally accessible to the global
Internet community.

In addition to offering corporate and multilingual names, XTNS plans a
number of "Open Domain NamespacesSM" that operate like existing top level
domains (such as ".com", ".biz", ".info" etc) and will permit users to
register unique addresses within these Domain Namespaces. However, XTNS'
primary attention is to ensure that its Open Domain Namespaces are not
confused with top level domain names released via ICANN or the U.S.
Department of Commerce by requiring Open Domain Namespaces to be in the form
"name.trademark", "name.corporation", or in the form "genericprefix.name".

"Having already experienced a substantial interest from global corporations
wanting their own domains, our current focus is upon Domain Namespaces based
upon trademarks, brand names, corporate names and association names," said
Langdell. "Soon, though, we plan to launch a number of Open Domain
Namespaces for the domestic and overseas markets aimed at satisfying
individual and small business domain name demand to further relieve the
immense pressure on the '.com' domain."

Immediate Availability

XTNS Corporate Domain Namespaces and multilingual Corporate and trademark
Domain Namespaces are available immediately. The first of XTNS's Open Domain
Namespaces for second level name registration in both Roman characters
("English") and multilingual characters will be announced shortly, with a
special focus on the Asian, Hispanic and European markets. Names in these
Open Domain Namespaces are anticipated to sell for flat fee of between
$25-$50 per annum. A trademark protection policy will be announced at that
time.

Registry/Registrar Channels

XTNS itself acts as a Registry for most of the new Domain Namespaces that it
launches. However, it also licenses other entities to act as registries for
proposed and sponsored new Domain Namespaces, and projects a world-wide
network of registrar re-sellers for XTNS's and its client's second level
name sales. XTNS is currently accepting proposals for sponsored and
un-sponsored Open Domain Namespaces with a scheduled launch in late 2001 and
in 2002.



What's Next?

"These first XTNS names are merely an introduction to a wealth of new
extended naming possibilities we will be creating over the coming years, "
said Langdell. "Because we can set up pay-per-view and member-only Domain
Namespaces, we have the flexibility to create new namespaces that provide
safe-havens for children, or namespaces that can be securely regulated and
restricted."

XTNS namespaces feature geographic location capabilities as well as provide
the potential for enhanced security (e.g. for enhanced virtual private
networks). XTNS's GeoLocTM features enable companies to route web traffic
according to territory or country of origin, making fully automated language
specific web navigation a reality. No longer will web-users need to face a
menu to determine which language version or territory version of a web site
they are seeking. These features will also enable XTNS customers to have
important marketing data about the source location of their web site's
visitors.

Future XTNS namespaces will also permit advanced search capabilities. Added
Langdell, "Our namespaces sit on top of DNS in a complementary relationship
and form a perfect fit with anticipated extensions and enhancements to the
DNS, meaning we permit new functionality over the existing system and future
developments. By doing so, we enable XTNS's system to overlay the DNS,
enhancing it without interfering with it or damaging it in any way. We have
the clear potential to also include easy navigation using wireless devices
(cellular phones, PDAs, etc) as well as providing critical assistance with
the integration of voice, text and other media, while maintaining a truly
global scope and vision. It is central to XTNS's intent to work closely with
bodies such as IETF and ICANN, and be supportive of the ongoing work of
these bodies, and the single root structure or DNS."



About XTNS (Extended Name Services, Inc.)

XTNS is a Pasadena, California based corporation which is in process of
opening offices in Korea, China, Japan and Europe. XTNS is an Internet
Domain Namespace registry as well as an Internet Domain Namespace resolution
service provider. The vision of XTNS is to bring about global acceptance for
a new form of Internet naming and navigation that is far simpler and more
intuitive than the existing system, while working closely with and utilizing
the existing DNS system rather than replacing it. Using the existing DNS,
XTNS Domain Namespaces replace complicated URLs with simple, easy to
remember names in virtually any language in the world. The XTNS technology
is based upon the RealNames (RealNames Corporation) system which is
integrated directly into the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser (version
5.0 and above).Therefore the XTNS's system already built into the Microsoft
IE Browser is today already operational in hundreds of millions of PCs
worldwide. For more information please visit the XTNS website at
www.xtns.net



About RealNames Corporation

RealNames Corporation is the global infrastructure provider of Keywords and
offers a naming

platform for the next generation Internet. The RealNames registration and
resolution name

services platform provides a modern naming layer on top of DNS. Keywords are
a superior Web

naming registration platform that extends the existing Domain Name System,
and are integrated

into Microsoft Internet Explorer browser software and the Openwave Mobile
Access Gateway.

RealNames Keywords and name services are available through a worldwide
channel of Registries and Registrars. For more information, please enter
Keyword: RealNames to visit our Web site.



XTNS, XTNS System, Extended Namespaces, Domain Namespaces, Open Domain
Namespaces, Open Domains, and GeoLoc are all trademarks or service marks of
Extended Name Services, Inc. All rights reserved. RealNames, and RealNames
System are either service marks or registered service marks of RealNames
Corporation.



Contact Information:

For Press Related Inquiries

pr@xtns.net

T: 626-449-4334 / F: 626-844-4334

For Business Development or Partnering Inquiries

bizdev@xtns.net

T: 626-449-4334 / F: 626-844-4334

For Investor Relations

investors@xtns.net

T: 626-449-4334 / F: 626-844-4334

Copyright (C) 2001, Extended Name Services, Inc. All rights reserved.


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